Improvement in variable exhausts for locomotives



N. PETERS. PHOTO-{.rrMoGRAFNER, WASHINGTON, D, cy

l UNITEDv STATES ATENT einen.

IMPROVEMENTV IN VARIABLE EXHAUSTSFOR LOCOMOTIVES. l

Speciiicationformng part of Letters Patent No. @SASL dated July 12,1864.

the art to make and use the same, referenceV bing had io theaccompanying drawings,

-forming part of this specification, in which- Figures l and2 arevertical sections at right angles to each other of the apparatus bywhich the exhaust is varied. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section of one of the expanding nozzles near its base.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide for the contraction andenlargementof the exhaust-outlets without breaking or changing thedirection of the ascending column or columns of steam; and to thisend itconsists, principally, in the employment of expanding and contractingnozzles or cones composed of staves of steel or other` metal firmlysecured at their lower ends to suitable sockets, and having their upperparts constructed to overlap each other in such manner as to enable themto be drawn together equally toward and to move outward equally from acommon center.

It consists in certain means for producing the contraction of thesofconstructed cones or nozzles, and of preventing anycollection orsettlement of dirt or ashes around'their exte' riors.

A is a stationary box-like vase, intended to be arranged within thesmoke-box of the locomotive, and having in its bottom two circularopenings, a af, situated over the exhaustpipes. Into these openings aretightly inserted the sockets B of the expanding and contracting cones()C. The upper partsot' these sockets are of polygonal form, and haveriveted to them the lower parts ot' the staves of steelplate, c c, ofwhich the concs U G' are composed. The lower parts of these stavcs,which are riveted to the sockets, are tlat; but from a short distancefrom the said socket up to the top they are curved in their horizontalsection and arranged as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that each closelyoverlaps its next neighbor on one side, and is closely overlapped by itsnext neighbor on the other side, but it is only at the bottom that thesaid staves are secured, their upper ends being free to be moved towarda common center by pressureapplied to theirexteriors, for the purpose of'contracting the upper ends of the nozzles.

The said staves must be sufliciently elastic to cause them to move backagain from the center of the nozzle, and so expand the upper end thereofwhen the external pressureis removed.

D is a cover fitted toslip freely up and down over the upright sides ofthe box-like base A, andhavin g in its top two openings, l; b, which arelarge enough to receive within them the upper parts ofthe nozzles C Cwhen the latter are in their most expanded condition. This cover D,fitted to the box-like base, as described, prevents the collectionaround the nozzles O O of ashes, dirt, 86e., which might get betweentheir staves and prevent their free expansion and contraction. The loweredges of said cover are beveled or sharpened, to enable them to scrapeot'f any dirt that may collect on the base. On the top ofthe said coverthere are secured, around and concentric with the open` ings b b, twoshort upright nozzles, E E, to surround the upper portions of theexpanding and contracting nozzles O O. rl`he nozzles C C are expandedand contracted by raising and lowering the cover D'. As the cover israised,

the openings b @which receive the upper parts of the said nozzles,permit the said nozzles to expand by the natural elasticity of theirstaves, and as the cover is lowered the said openings b b slidingdown'the conical exteriors of the said nozzles contracts them, as shownin red outline in Fig. 3. lo provide for the raising and lowering or'the cover D by the engineer, it is connected by links d d with the twoshort arms c e of a rock-shaft, j', which works in suitable bearings, hh, upon the base A, and which is furnished with a longer arm, g, towhich to apply the power by a suitable system of connections leading tothe engineers cab.

It will be 4readily understood that the expanding and contractingnozzles C O operate very differently' from a mere expanding andcontracting opening, and that as they expand and contract from and toward their centers in all directions, and the expansion and. contractionare gradual all the way down, the currents ot steam are not broken anddo not have their direction changed by the expansion and contraction of'the said nozzles.

We prefer to give the nozzles O C a slight inclination toward each otherin an upwarddireetion so that their axes would meet in a point soniedistance below thc mouth of the smoke-stack.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to securerby Letters Patent,is-

The plates c c c c, 85e., fastened at their lower ends to the conicalsockets B, overlapping euch other from .a point near theirattaclnnen't,aml suciently numerous to'make them readily approximate theshapeofV a frustum of a cone Without opening the joints, in combinationwith the caps E E, which by depression contract the nozzles, and byelevation admit of their expansion.

JOHN DYKEMAN.

JOHN BOLTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY Goonmon, DUDLEY DEMING.

